Deserved
by OtterAndTerrier
Summary: [COMPLETE] Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione go on a double date.


**A/N:** As I have nothing new to post, I'm sharing a one-shot I wrote in 2015 for Harry/Ginny Week and had only posted to Tumblr. I asked for requests and combined "double date out in London" and "pineapple". Having Ron and Hermione there made it very difficult for me to remember this was supposed to be focused on Harry and Ginny, but I think I managed. Thanks to **jenahid** for proof-reading this and suggesting the title!

For the record, pineapple pizza is disgusting to me and I almost got nauseous describing it and pretending I liked it.

* * *

 **Deserved**

The warmly clad students pushed around the little group as they exited the Hogwarts Express and headed towards the enchanted barrier.

'It's so good to see you again!' Ginny cried, hugging Ron five seconds longer than she would have in any other circumstances.

'You too,' Ron answered, raising his eyebrows and hugging her back awkwardly, taken aback by his sister's unusual display of affection.

'And you, obviously,' Ginny said, leaving Ron to be wrapped by Hermione's arms and turning to Harry.

'Hi.' He grinned back at her, taking her hands in one of his own and brushing a lock of hair from her face. 'I don't know if I should be offended that you hugged some other bloke first, but since he's your brother I might be willing to let that pass.'

Ginny laughed.

'You know I've got to give him some sisterly love from time to time, keep him off our tails,' she joked.

Harry bent and kissed her on the lips, a short peck so that it wouldn't attract too much unwanted attention (especially from Ron, Ginny reckoned, though she knew he would be likewise occupied with Hermione), but firm enough to count as a proper greeting after months apart. Their lips broke away but she didn't pull too far back, her nose lightly touching Harry's. They had last seen each other on the weekend of the first Hogsmeade trip of the year. One Saturday, two months ago. It was hardly enough, and as she stared at Harry, Ginny thought that she missed him even then, having him standing inches apart, because she'd missed him so bloody much and for so bloody long that she needed more than a peck on a busy train station.

'Let's get going, then,' Ron called, making both Harry and Ginny jump as their fragile illusion of intimacy broke. Ron didn't seem to notice: he had one arm around Hermione's waist and the besotted grin Ginny had become used to seeing on his face for the past months. Seeing the two of them linked like that as they walked in front of Harry and her, feeling Harry's hand slipping into her own and tugging her to follow, Ginny had one of those moments in which the reality of their situation filled her with a myriad of feelings, especially as she remembered how things had been before, the conversations she'd had with Hermione late at night, both wordlessly wondering if what they longed for would ever come to happen. And it had. It surely deserved a little celebration.

'Let's go eat out somewhere, all of us,' Ginny said suddenly, surprising herself at how little thought she'd given the idea.

Ron and Hermione stopped on their tracks to look at her over their shoulders, exchanging an uncertain glance with each other. Ginny heard Harry clearing his throat as well, and she knew they were all thinking the same.

'Er…' Ron started, but Ginny hurried to add, 'Not right now. Let's meet back in three hours, we'll go to the Leaky Cauldron or something—'

'There's a great Muggle pizza place Harry and I found,' Ron suggested hopefully. 'We could go there, avoid the Saturday night crowd at the Leaky.'

'That'd be great!' Hermione said, giving him a bright smile.

'All right, meet you two then at Grimmauld Place or… or where do you reckon you're…?' Ginny asked hesitantly.

'We'll find you there,' Hermione reassured her before they all pushed their carts against the barrier and stepped into the Muggle station beyond.

'Just don't come barging in!' Ginny called after them, making Harry groan beside her and Ron's ears go red in record speed.

Hermione rolled her eyes and squeezed Ron's hand.

'Duly noted.'

* * *

'So _this_ ,' Hermione began, looking around the fast-food restaurant while they took their seats, a mix of disappointment and amusement on her face, 'is the great pizza place you found?'

'Yes. Why, you don't like it?' Ron asked worriedly, half way through shrugging off his jacket.

'It's not that, it's only… well, it's not really… I mean, for a double-date, of course…' Hermione said, turning pink on the cheeks.

'Oh. I thought—Harry and I've been coming for a while after training… The pizza's really good and it's not too exp—it's… the price's very reasonable, I mean…'

Ron was slightly hunched over the table, jacket still tangled at the end of his arms and his blushing ears standing out against the white artificial light of the place.

'It's all right,' Hermione said softly, laying a hand on Ron's upper arm and leaning sideways so he would look at her in the eye. 'I'm sure the food is great. Let's order.'

Harry, who had kept himself busy while this exchange happened by hanging his coat on the back of the chair with more care than necessary, passed Ginny a menu.

Ginny didn't mind the place, herself. Perhaps it was not very romantic, especially as there were more families with little children and groups of teenagers around them than there were couples, but she had only wanted a night out with her friends. There would be time (and money) for fancy double-dates in the future. Besides, she'd only tried pizza the summer before, when Hermione had invited her and Harry to her house for a second time, and Ginny had loved it. She thought they should serve pizza at Hogwarts, and she also thought her mum should ditch some of her heavy casseroles in favour of that cheese-and-tomato covered Muggle delicacy.

After barely a glance at the different choices, Ron announced he wanted a "meat fest pizza"—Ginny looked down at the menu and, predictably, it contained a number of different meat cuts.

'Seriously?' Hermione said, her mouth quivering with the effort not to smile. 'Is that what you eat all the time?'

''Course not, do you think I'm made of Galleons? But it's a special occasion, isn't it?'

'Right,' Hermione agreed. 'In that case, I'd like—wait, how many pizzas should we order?'

'With Ron's stomach, about six,' Ginny told her, making Harry laugh.

'Let's order two large pizzas for now, we can ask for four toppings,' Harry said, signalling a waiter.

Ginny's mouth watered and her stomach gave a low rumble in anticipation as the pizzas finally made their way to their table, the smell almost overwhelming.

'Hungry?' Harry teased quietly, bumping his shoulder with hers.

'Very. Although I'm grateful Kreacher made those sandwiches. I hadn't eaten anything since the tea trolley; I would have passed out right there on t—'

'All right!' Harry interrupted, alarmed at what might follow. He looked round to check on Ron and breathed in relief when he saw his best friends deep in conversation. Hermione seemed to be explaining to him how pizza was one of the easiest foods to make at home if you bought pre-cooked crusts.

'Er… what's that yellow thing?' Ron suddenly asked, pointing at half of one pizza.

'That's a Hawaiian,' Hermione said. 'It's got pineapple and ham.'

'But… pineapples are _fruit_.' Ron frowned. 'I don't think it should be anywhere _near_ the ham, least of all on top of it.'

'It's actually really good! You should try some,' Hermione said, taking a slice and biting into it. Ron watched her with apprehension and pursed his lips before helping himself to his meat fest.

'You're mental,' he said, his mouth already full.

'Well, I want to try it!' Ginny said enthusiastically.

The combination of salty ham with the juicy, sweet taste of the pineapple felt queer at first, but she found it wasn't entirely unpleasant. A second bite convinced her that it could easily become her new favourite thing.

'That's just disgusting,' Ron declared, staring as even Harry chewed a slice of Hawaiian with gusto.

'So are you, and yet,' Ginny quipped, thrusting her chin in Hermione's direction. 'I reckon it's an acquired taste, wouldn't you say?'

Ron brandished his third serving, making bits of chicken fly through the table.

'Oi, you watch it!'

'Mhm,' Hermione muttered in response to Ginny's question, which made Ron snort good-naturedly and the other two burst in laughter.

Hermione leaned into Ron to kiss him on the cheek, making Harry mock-complain that he wanted to keep his food down, thank you very much. He covertly held Ginny's hand under the table, though, as he offered her to try some other topping variety. She rested her head lightly on Harry's shoulder with a pleased sigh, smiling up at him when he gave her a curious look because, in that moment, Ginny was too content for words. After all the hardship they had gone through, after so much loss and devastation, after a year when every laugh, every small joy, seemed tainted, she felt that, at last, they had earned the right to celebrate. And she would make sure they did.


End file.
